The ICU resilience project: establishing occupational therapy practitioners' role in addressing patient mental health in the intensive care unit
OA Version
Citation
Abstract
Patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) live through harrowing life experiences that can lead to lasting physical, cognitive, and psychosocial changes impacting survivors' quality of life called Post-Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS). Research on strategies to address mental health concerns such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder within early rehabilitation is still emerging. Occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs) feel most comfortable addressing physical and cognitive impairments in the ICU despite the profession's foundational roots in mental health treatment. This doctoral project aims to address OTPs' limited knowledge and training of their role in addressing mental health concerns in the ICU by developing an evidence-based multimedia website entitled The ICU Resilience Project: Your Occupational Therapy Resource and Toolkit. This website aims to enhance clinicians' understanding of the prevalence of mental health issues following ICU admission and their impact on survivors' quality of life. It seeks to expand knowledge of screening tools, assessments, and treatment strategies within the scope of occupational therapy practice, ultimately boosting the confidence of OTPs in effectively implementing these intervention approaches into daily practice. By embracing this role in the ICU, the hope is for OTPs to assist in decreasing the prevalence of lasting mental health conditions experienced by ICU survivors and increase overall ICU survivor’s quality of life.Keywords: occupational therapy, intensive care unit, mental health intervention, post-intensive care syndrome, psychosocial treatment
Description
2025